Coldest air of the season takes aim for Plains, East this week
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 9, 2020 6:47 PM EDT
Frostbite and hypothermia are both caused by exposure to cold weather. What are the symptoms, and how do you stay safe?
After an absence of typical mid-winter cold, some of the lowest temperatures this season could be on the way for the eastern half of the country.
Following some weekend snow, temperatures fell across much of the Northern Plains. Highs in the 30s were replaced with the thermometer mercury struggling to reach the upper teens on Sunday afternoon.
Normal-February cold will settle into the Northern Plains for the first half of the week.
Through Wednesday, temperatures will be at or just above normal across parts of the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin down to Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.
An Arctic front that plunges into the Northern Plains on Wednesday will help initiate a change for the end of the week.
The front will create a wave of light snow showers that will open the door for the Arctic cold to filter south and east across the United States.
"Drastic temperature swings are expected through Friday, with drops of 15-25 degrees in just 24 hours," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Eric Leister.
After highs reach the lower 30s in Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon, low temperatures are expected to be below zero on Wednesday night.
Highs will be in the single digits or below zero on Thursday for cities like Fargo, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Des Moines, Iowa and Minneapolis.
Thursday night, overnight low temperatures will be below zero from the Canadian border to central Illinois.
Even lower than the actual mercury reading will be how cold it feels. With whipping winds along with the incoming cold, AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures will bottom out near -25 F in Minneapolis Thursday morning and around -10 in Chicago Thursday night.
Prolonged exposure to such harsh temperatures can be dangerous for those venturing outdoors Wednesday night through Friday. In just a few minutes, frostbite and hypothermia can become a concern for those who are not properly protected.
Much of this winter has been devoid of this level of cold in the Plains. The last time temperatures were below zero in the Northern Plains was mid-January, and even that cold spell was brief.
Cold air will sweep eastward through the end of the week.
More extensive wet weather is possible across the Eastern Seaboard midweek, before the colder air in the Plains filters in behind the storm.
By Thursday night, temperatures across the Northeast and Ohio Valley will take a deep dive. A high temperature of almost 40 degrees in Pittsburgh on Thursday will be quickly erased by lows in lower teens Friday morning.
Once again, breezy conditions will allow for AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures to dip even lower. The RealFeel will be in the single digits from Pittsburgh to Albany, New York, and below zero near the Canadian border.
"Not just the northern tier of the United States will be impacted by this cold. Places like Atlanta and Nashville will also experience temperature drops of 20 degrees or more," said Leister.
Southern areas are likely to see heavy downpours, reigniting the risk for flooding. Arrival of cold air will come behind the storm and residents can expect near- to below-freezing temperatures Thursday and Friday nights, which can make any ponding water or lingering wet spots icy.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Coldest air of the season takes aim for Plains, East this week
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 9, 2020 6:47 PM EDT
Frostbite and hypothermia are both caused by exposure to cold weather. What are the symptoms, and how do you stay safe?
After an absence of typical mid-winter cold, some of the lowest temperatures this season could be on the way for the eastern half of the country.
Following some weekend snow, temperatures fell across much of the Northern Plains. Highs in the 30s were replaced with the thermometer mercury struggling to reach the upper teens on Sunday afternoon.
Normal-February cold will settle into the Northern Plains for the first half of the week.
Through Wednesday, temperatures will be at or just above normal across parts of the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin down to Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.
An Arctic front that plunges into the Northern Plains on Wednesday will help initiate a change for the end of the week.
The front will create a wave of light snow showers that will open the door for the Arctic cold to filter south and east across the United States.
"Drastic temperature swings are expected through Friday, with drops of 15-25 degrees in just 24 hours," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Eric Leister.
After highs reach the lower 30s in Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon, low temperatures are expected to be below zero on Wednesday night.
Highs will be in the single digits or below zero on Thursday for cities like Fargo, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Des Moines, Iowa and Minneapolis.
Thursday night, overnight low temperatures will be below zero from the Canadian border to central Illinois.
Even lower than the actual mercury reading will be how cold it feels. With whipping winds along with the incoming cold, AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures will bottom out near -25 F in Minneapolis Thursday morning and around -10 in Chicago Thursday night.
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Prolonged exposure to such harsh temperatures can be dangerous for those venturing outdoors Wednesday night through Friday. In just a few minutes, frostbite and hypothermia can become a concern for those who are not properly protected.
Much of this winter has been devoid of this level of cold in the Plains. The last time temperatures were below zero in the Northern Plains was mid-January, and even that cold spell was brief.
Cold air will sweep eastward through the end of the week.
More extensive wet weather is possible across the Eastern Seaboard midweek, before the colder air in the Plains filters in behind the storm.
By Thursday night, temperatures across the Northeast and Ohio Valley will take a deep dive. A high temperature of almost 40 degrees in Pittsburgh on Thursday will be quickly erased by lows in lower teens Friday morning.
Once again, breezy conditions will allow for AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures to dip even lower. The RealFeel will be in the single digits from Pittsburgh to Albany, New York, and below zero near the Canadian border.
"Not just the northern tier of the United States will be impacted by this cold. Places like Atlanta and Nashville will also experience temperature drops of 20 degrees or more," said Leister.
Southern areas are likely to see heavy downpours, reigniting the risk for flooding. Arrival of cold air will come behind the storm and residents can expect near- to below-freezing temperatures Thursday and Friday nights, which can make any ponding water or lingering wet spots icy.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo